Music therapy (MT) is being encouraged as a potential complementary therapy in clinical situations under the context of integrated care of health, all over the world. However, very few of the therapists hardly know about the ancient concept and practices of Nada Yoga, which can be the true precursor for the present day practices in MT – be it training in music or treatment.
A music therapist has to work in total synergy with the health professionals in a clinical settings, be it a practice or research. To start with, it is teamwork between the client and his therapist. Like two hands coming together to clap, the one-to-one rapport is essential for a successful intervention. Music therapy being more a supportive therapy, a lot of interaction is needed, because the music therapist works in an interdisciplinary team in terms of assessments, diagnosis and evaluation.
Music in Combination with Other Therapeutic Interventions
A recent survey, conducted at Vizag reveals that 75 percent of the survey takers who were psychologists and medical professionals felt that music should be combined with alternative systems of medicine.
MT instantly combines with every system of medicine – not only as alternative systems of medicine, but also the conventional system – for synergistic results. When we combine music therapy with other therapies (e.g., physiotherapy, aroma therapy, pranayama, sruthi darshana etc.), it may be necessary that different therapists sit together and work out a procedure complementing each other.
What is Nada?
The etymological meaning of nada is ‘flow of consciousness’ rather than ‘sound’ as being crudely rendered into english. Nada is intonation, which is believed to have therapeutic effects not only on the body and mind of the individuals, but also on a whole family or community.
Thus, nada is not taken as merely a ‘material’ sound object, but regarded as an emanation of one’s own consciousness. In a deeper level of meditation, it is anahata, the ‘unstruck’ sound that gets involved. At the beta level, it is ahata, the ‘struct’ sound, which comes as an aid for the transformation of consciousness into healing levels.
Nada Yoga (NY) and Music Therapy
In Nada Yoga, the practitioner relies upon himself to achieve the healthy state of consciousness. In other words, the client himself is his therapist! Nada Yoga can be called in a sense – as ‘self- music therapy’. Both are non-invasive and share a holistic platform.
Fortunately, many things about Nada Yoga are still surviving – very much like the Vedas and Upanishads! What we lack, however, is a proper codification or documentation. Though the system is alive even today, it is widely believed that a great deal of literature on nada had existed in the past in Sanskrit as well as in other regional languages like Tamil. Due to the vagaries of nature and time, they must have been lost as we now only have some fragmentary materials from different schools of yoga – some written and some existing in oral traditions.
Benefits of Practicing Nada Yoga
As a practitioner of NY, one develops an awareness about those vibrations, energy patterns and movements – intrinsically linked to our body-mind system.
As you progress in the practice, you are led towards a sense of compassion, love, joy, harmony, flexibility, fulfillment and contentment, the essential determinants for good health in an individual and his society.
India: Sitting Pretty on Nada Yoga
Nada Yoga and the raga system are the two eyes of music therapy. Indians are sitting merrily on a gold mine without realising its actual worth. While Nada Yoga is assigned to the old and the worn-outs, ragas are used superficially to entertain the snobbish audience, in marriages, social functions and religious festivals – purely with a new aim to entertain those who have purchasing power. It is high time that people now realize their therapeutic potentials, and though systematised scientific research, bring their past glory back for the welfare of the entire humanity.
This article was published in ‘The Eternal Solutions’ August 2005 – Pages 62, 63
Edited by Geeta Shreedar, mar 31, 2021